First parent agrees to plead
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BOSTON -- A packaged-food entrepreneur from California became the first of the 33 parents charged in the college bribery scandal to agree to plead guilty, disclosing the deal Wednesday as Hollywood actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin (pictured) appeared in court along with some of the other defendants. Peter Jan Sartorio, 53, was accused of paying $15,000 in cash to have someone correct his daughter's answers on the ACT college entrance exam. The exact charges to which he planned to plead were not immediately clear. The two actresses and Loughlin's fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, said little during the brief hearing in a packed Boston courtroom and were not asked to enter a plea. They remain free on bail. Several other parents were given similar hearings of a few minutes each. The proceedings came three weeks after 50 people in all were charged with taking part in a scheme in which parents bribed coaches and helped rig test scores to get their children into some of the nation's most selective universities, including Yale, Stanford, Georgetown and the University of Southern California. The case -- the biggest college admissions scheme ever prosecuted by the U.S. Justice Department -- has roiled the world of higher education and amplified complaints the system is stacked in favor of the rich.
Parole hearing set for Clark
ALBANY, N.Y. -- Supporters of Judith Clark, a former radical activist who has served more than 36 years of a life sentence for her role in a deadly 1981 Brink's heist, have asked a state panel to grant parole, saying she meets every legal and social test of rehabilitation. Clark, 70, is scheduled to appear this week before the parole board, state corrections officials said Wednesday. The board would have two weeks to make a decision. Clark, a former member of Weather Underground, a 1960s group of increasingly violent anti-war activists, drove a getaway car in the suburban New York robbery of a Brink's armored truck that led to the deaths of two police officers and a security guard. In a 2002 sworn statement, Clark expressed regret and said she had rejected her radical beliefs. In 2017, a parole panel denied Clark's release, to which there is still strong opposition. Norma Hill, whose car was commandeered during the heist and who testified against Clark, was among those submitting a letter supporting her release. She wrote that Clark has "constantly expressed her remorse to me" and "tried to make peace without ever forgetting her participation" in the Brink's robbery. Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo praised Clark's behavior as a model prisoner when he commuted her sentence in 2016 to make her eligible for parole. He noted that she received one of the longest sentences of her six co-defendants, including the same sentence as one of the shooters. During her time behind bars, Clark tutored other inmates, trained service dogs and founded an HIV and AIDS education program.
Unseen photos to be auctioned
NEW YORK -- Frida Kahlo with her head wrapped in bandages. Diego Rivera posing with a gas mask. Miguel Covarrubias at the beach. The photographs of the three Mexican painters and other works by Nickolas Muray, many of them never seen before, are going on sale this week in New York. The images, dating from around 1925 to 1946, are among 78 portraits by the renowned Hungarian-born American photographer, who had a decade-long affair with Kahlo after meeting her in 1931. They will be auctioned Friday as part of Sotheby's "Photographs" sale, each with a starting price of $15,000. Muray met Kahlo and Rivera through Covarrubias, whom he befriended while working for Vanity Fair, where Covarrubias served as a cartoonist. They later introduced him to other prominent figures of the arts. There are at least 20 photographs of Kahlo, Rivera or both of them together.
Goodall honored on her 85th
LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles city leaders honored the lifetime achievements of famed primatologist Jane Goodall by singing "Happy Birthday" to her on her 85th birthday. Goodall vocalized a chimpanzee greeting Wednesday at the City Hall ceremony and pulled Mayor Eric Garcetti over to demonstrate how a female chimpanzee greets a high-ranking male. Goodall recounted her experiences in Los Angeles over the years, most recently at the 2017 screening of the documentary "Jane" at the Hollywood Bowl that featured a live orchestral performance. Goodall says her relationship with Los Angeles is "very deep and very real and very true."
Bike-riding slasher strikes 6
LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles police say they are trying to find a bicyclist who rides close to people and slashes their faces. He is believed to have struck six times since last month. Police in a statement said that a man standing near a bus stop was attacked on Monday and a woman was slashed about a mile away. They were hospitalized with severe injuries and are expected to survive. Similar attacks happened in the same area of South Los Angeles on March 20 and in the neighboring cities of South Gate and Lynwood on March 27. Police say the assailant used an unknown type of "edged weapon" and was last seen on a black and green mountain bike.
E-cig seizure risk investigated
WASHINGTON -- U.S. health officials are investigating whether electronic cigarettes may trigger seizures in some people who use the nicotine-vaping devices. The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday it has reviewed 35 reports of seizures among e-cigarettes users, mainly in young people. Regulators stressed it's not yet clear whether vaping is responsible. But they said they're concerned and encouraged the public to report information about the issue. These cases warrant "investigation into whether there is in fact a connection," FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement. Gottlieb is stepping down on Friday after nearly two years heading the agency. Cases go back to 2010 and were reported to the FDA or poison control centers around the country. Regulators said they detected an uptick in reports beginning mid-2018. While they represent a tiny fraction of Americans who have used e-cigarettes, many safety issues with foods, supplements and other consumer products can go unrecognized because reporting is voluntary. Most e-cigarettes heat a flavored nicotine solution into an inhalable vapor. The battery-powered devices have grown into a multibillion dollar industry though there are few standards, including how much nicotine they deliver.
Concern about Joshua trees
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. -- Social media photos showing Miley Cyrus posing in a Joshua tree have drawn criticism from people concerned about protecting the iconic desert species. The photos posted this week on Instagram were captioned "Looking down at all the petty drama like…." and "Monkey Bizzzzznassssss" but gave no specific location. Other photos posted in the past two weeks appear to show the singer near electricity-producing windmills in the Palm Springs area of California. Joshua trees are protected in Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave National Preserve as well as under some city and county ordinances. National Park spokesman George Land expressed concern that the singer's many followers might copy her actions.
First jail terms in rat death case
A judge has sentenced three former Penn State fraternity members to jail in the 2017 death of a pledge, the first defendants ordered to serve time behind bars in a case that rewrote Pennsylvania's anti-hazing law. Centre County Judge Brian Marshall sentenced former Beta Theta Pi members Tuesday for hazing surrounding the death of sophomore engineering major Tim Piazza, 19, of Lebanon, New Jersey. The sentences were 30 days to six months for Michael Bonatucci, 21, of Woodstock, Georgia; two months to six months for Luke Visser, 21, of Encinitas, California; and three months to nine months for Joshua Kurczewski, 20. A fourth defendant, Joseph Sala, 21, received three months to 10 months of house arrest. Kurczewski and Sala live in Erie. Each was also fined and given a probation term. They were all sentenced for hazing and conspiracy to commit hazing, and Kurczewski also pleaded guilty to furnishing alcohol to minors. Kurczewski defense attorney Jeffrey Veitch said they can apply to do their time on home monitoring, but it will be up to the judge to determine if they are eligible.
Kraft goes on the offensive
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Attorneys for Robert Kraft on Wednesday attacked a Florida police investigation that led to the New England Patriots owner being charged with paying for sex at a massage parlor, saying officers violated the U.S. and state constitutions and used tactics normally reserved for serious crimes rather than low-level offenses. In a 92-page court filing, Kraft's high-profile attorneys allege Jupiter, Florida, police misrepresented evidence to obtain a search warrant that allowed them to secretly install video cameras at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa. Police say those cameras recorded Kraft twice paying to have sex with spa employees. Kraft's attorneys argued that using the cameras to prosecute misdemeanor crimes violated constitutional privacy protections and prohibitions against unreasonable searches. In addition, a Florida law says police can only make secret recordings when investigating certain serious felonies. Kraft is charged with solicitation, which is not a felony. The attorneys want all evidence collected against Kraft thrown out. If they're successful, the case against Kraft could be dismissed and the other 24 men who have been similarly charged in the Orchids of Asia investigation could try to follow suit. The multicounty investigation resulted in about 300 men being charged, 10 massage parlors being closed and their owners charged with felony prostitution charges. Investigators have said they were targeting human traffickers , but no one in the Orchids of Asia case has been charged with that crime.
House panel approves subpoenas
WASHINGTON -- The House Judiciary Committee approved subpoenas Wednesday for special counsel Robert Mueller's full Russia report as Democrats pressure the Justice Department to release the document without redactions. The committee voted 24-17 to give Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., permission to issue subpoenas to the Justice Department for the final report, its exhibits and any underlying evidence or materials prepared for Mueller's investigation. Nadler has not yet said if he'll send the subpoenas, which would be the first step in a potentially long fight with the Justice Department over the materials. The Judiciary panel also voted Wednesday to authorize subpoenas related to five of President Donald Trump's former top advisers, stepping up a separate, wide-ranging investigation into Trump.
Details emerge on cliff dive
SAN FRANCISCO -- Jen and Sarah Hart and three of their adopted children died of broken necks after their SUV plunged off a Northern California cliff, a forensic pathologist testified during a coroner's inquest Wednesday to help authorities classify the deaths. A jury in Willits will decide whether the March 2018 deaths of the two women and their six children were accidental or a murder-suicide. The crash happened just days after authorities in Washington state opened an investigation following allegations the children, ages 12 to 19, were being neglected. The bodies of the women were inside the SUV when it was discovered, but one of them fell out as the vehicle was being towed up the cliff off the coast of Mendocino County, Sheriff Deputy Robert Julian said during testimony livestreamed online. Forensic pathologist Greg Pizarro testified that Jennifer Hart was drunk when she drove her large family off the cliff, saying an autopsy found she had a blood alcohol level of 0.102. California drivers are considered drunk with a level of 0.08 or higher. She was also the only one wearing a seatbelt, he said.
Me time, maybe dad time, too
LOS ANGELES -- Britney Spears says she's decided to focus on self-care as she goes through a rough stretch. Spears posted an image on Instagram Wednesday with the words, "Fall in love with taking care of yourself. Mind. Body. Spirit." In the caption she wrote that everyone needs "a little 'me time,'" followed by a smile emoji. People magazine reports citing an unnamed source that worries for her father and the need to help take care of him after a life-threatening colon rupture last year have continued to take a toll on the pop star. In January, Spears announced that she was putting her planned Las Vegas residency -- and the rest of her career -- on hold for the sake of her father. The 37-year-old Spears has sons aged 13 and 12.
Kill a K-9, do more time
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- People who kill or seriously injure police dogs in Florida soon could face tougher penalties after the Senate unanimously passed a bill inspired by the shooting death of a canine named Fang. The bill passed Wednesday would make that crime a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. It's now a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Republican Sen. Aaron Bean said his bill was inspired after Fang was "executed" in Jacksonville last year. The 3-year-old German shepherd was killed as police chased a 17-year-old carjacking suspect. Republican Sen. Tom Wright is a former police officer, and he told his colleagues of two instances he responded to calls and his K-9 stopped armed suspects. A companion bill is advancing in the Florida House.
Alabama prison system rapped
MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Alabama has the nation's deadliest prisons, where violence is "too common, cruel, of an unusual nature, and pervasive" the Department of Justice found Wednesday in a scathing report that said male inmates are housed in unconstitutional conditions. During a single week in Alabama's prison system, one inmate bled to death after being stabbed repeatedly as two others stood guard at a dormitory's doors. Another stabbed inmate had to be evacuated by helicopter. A prisoner in a dorm reserved for those with good behavior was attacked with a sock filled with metal locks. And one prisoner set fire to another's bed blanket. The Justice Department said inmates endure an "extraordinarily high rate of violence at the hands of other prisoners" in a system that in 2017 had a homicide rate eight times the 2014 figure. The department gave Alabama 49 days to begin to correct the violations or possibly face a federal lawsuit.
Soccer players back Italian
MILAN -- A black player for Italy's most popular soccer club won support from other European players Wednesday, a day after he was subjected to a torrent of racist abuse from an opposing team's fans. Juventus forward Moise Kean scored his team's second goal against Cagliari late in the 2-0 victory Tuesday and stood in front of the home fans with his arms outstretched. That seemed to trigger a furious and openly racist outcry from the fans. One of his teammates, Leonardo Bonucci, added fuel to the fire by saying Kean was partly to blame for the angry response. That prompted players on other teams to rush to Kean's defense. Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling, who is black, ridiculed the remark: "Leonardo Bonucci … All you can do now is laugh." He also posted a screenshot on Twitter. "I support every fight against racism, we're all equal," Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba wrote in an Instagram post of Kean celebrating his goal. The Frenchman, who used to play for Juventus, then added, in Italian: "Good Italians wake up, you can't let a small group of racists talk for you."
Cherry blossoms threatened
WASHINGTON -- Washington's cherry blossom season has gone well this year, thanks to warm weather that has coincided perfectly with the annual blooming that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each spring. But officials are claiming that Washington's iconic trees are under a looming threat that requires emergency action. Decades of wear and tear from foot traffic, combined with rising sea levels and a deteriorating sea wall, have created a chronic flooding problem in the Tidal Basin . The 107-acre man-made reservoir borders the Jefferson Memorial and is home to the highest concentration of cherry blossom trees. "The Tidal Basin is at a pivotal moment," said Jeff Reinbold, acting superintendent for the National Mall and Memorial Parks division of the National Park Service. "The area was never designed for the kind of use it sees today." The National Park Service, along with the Trust for the National Mall and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is undertaking a campaign to save the Tidal Basin. In addition to rebuilding the battered sea wall and addressing the flooding problem, the groups want to improve walkways and update security systems.